I got into a tangle last week referring to the Italian immigrant restaurateur Caesar Cardini as Senor when of course it should have been Signore. Apologies to all. I should have known better than to start dabbling with foreign honourifics. I have enough problems dealing with Mr, Mrs and Ms.
In my early years I recall being puzzled by receiving birthday cards from relatives addressed to "Master Roger" even though no one ever actually called me Master. Which brings us to Mr or Mister, an important word in the English language which all males have to accommodate.
I remember being about 17 and strolling alongside the Kennet and Avon canal in Reading when a young lad holding a fishing rod approached and asked "Hey mister, can you help me?" He had caught a small fish but could not extract the hook from its mouth. I clumsily fiddled about and eventually freed the fish and tossed it back into the canal.
